Jonathan Strange
Jonathan Strange is a junior officer in the US Army and third character of Heiko Alkema. He current serves as the Commanding Officer of Baker company of the 3rd Infantry Division, 3rd Armoured Brigade. Pre-War History Jonathan Strange was nothing truly unique as far as general life experiences go. Born the second of four children to Alexander and Mary Strange of San Diego, California in 1918, Jonathan was firmly in the middle and thus received a little less attention than his older and youngest siblings, Alexander Jr and Elizabeth. The lesser amount of attention afforded to Jonathan and Lillian, the third child, drove them to seek attention elsewhere. Jonathan took up reading, finding solace in the adventures of Robinson Crusoe and the like while Lillian became quite the tomboy. Because of his affinity for reading, Jonathan became the scholar of his family and lived in the shadow of the sporty and athletic Alexander. Neglect is a great motivator for some, and Jonathan expended all his energy to out doing his brother in the only area he could: Academics. Jonathan breezed through school up to 1929, catching the attention of his teachers and eventually his father. The economic collapse of '29 did not touch Jonathan's life immediately, instead he watched the world around him slowly grind to a halt, the despair creep ever closer to his own life. Eventually, Alexander lost his business as a cobbler and had to take up odd jobs to keep his family fed, a little after that Alexander Jr left school and sports to help his father support the family. Jonathan however had proven his intellectual prowess enough to have his teacher fight to keep him in school. As the world tumbled into depression, Jonathan's father and a collection of teachers collectively saved enough money to keep Jonathan in school and propel him into higher education, instilling a deep sense of gratitude in the boy. While American prosperity seemed to vanish forever, Jonathan travelled from California to the even greater decay of New England. Seeing just how bad life could have been for him, Jonathan applied himself fully to his education revelling in the teachings of Socrates and Plato, delving ever deeper into any literature he could particularly Livy's History of Rome. His closeness to the academics and thinkers of the time, brought the trouble brewing in Europe and Asia into sharp clarity. Every one he knew understood the inevitably of armed conflict but still expressed a need for neutrality for as long as it was possible. Threw letters from his sister Lillian, Jonathan was overjoyed when news that his family had been able to snag jobs at a local factory once arms manufacturing began a priority of the US Government. The wait of his family's future was lifted off his shoulders and when he graduated in 1940 he was optimistic about his own future even as war became a reality in Europe. His optimism was cut short with FDR's order to reinstate the draft only months after his graduation. Jonathan was one of the first drafted in October of 1940. IO History List of battles and statistics Battles * Bridge on the River Merderet http://issuingorders.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=openareafrance&action=display&thread=2833&page=1 :: Lt. Strange and Baker Company, along with a squad led by Owen Pearson, are ordered to occupy and hold a town on the French river, Merderet. Things quickly go sour as the town has already been occupied by ObSf. Erik Schneider and his company of SS men. ::*Loss * Redemption http://issuingorders.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=portofcherbourg&action=display&thread=3369&page=1 :: Strange and a small contingent from Baker Company attempt hold off a German counter-attack, led by Werner von Maybach and Dieter Rentz, near the port city of Cherbourg with the help of division XO Nicholas Ealing. ::* Closed Prematurely; Draw Statistics *Victories: 0 *Loses: 1 *Kills: 1 *KIA: 9 Category:Characters of Issuing Orders